Quayside at night and an interesting discovery

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Mid-week post! That means a) no new places and b) only a few pictures. But I'm really proud of them, so if you don't care about all this talky stuff, you can at least check them out.

I went down to the Quayside (pronounced "Key-side") after dark to see the bridge all lit up. Keeping in mind that we are on the same latitude as Newfoundland and Labrador, so "after dark" means around 4:30 pm. (Sunset was at 4 today.) Although I don't believe for a millisecond that winter weather is going to be anything like what I'm used to in New England, I will grant that the darkness here is way worse. I don't think the sun sets this early even in December for us.

But maybe this will make it better:










Took these, went home, made dinner, ate at a normal hour. And we've still got a month to go before the days stop shrinking. Oh well.

I met Americans!

Never would have predicted I'd be writing that - with an exclamation point, no less. I chose to come to the UK for two years, after all. But I went to an info session about a US scholarship that it turns out I'm not eligible for (but it's okay, neither was anyone else in the room) and there were about 20 or so people from the US. All but one of them were Grad students. One guy said "Does anyone know where the trash is?" and I got really excited because I haven't heard that word in months.

I love this country. If you know me, you know that. I love my course and (as many of you know) the people on it. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't. But (and this is similar to an entry I wrote from South Korea) once in a while it's just nice to have something familiar. It's nice to say to someone "WHY ARE THERE TWO TAPS ON THE SINKS AND WHAT'S WITH ALL THE DOORS?" and have them go "I HAVE NO IDEA IT'S CRAZY."

(Because Americans speak in Caps Lock. Obviously.)

It's nice to hear a story about elementary school or 7th grade and not to have to figure out what that means, to say "I'd be a Pats fan if I was into football," and not to have to explain what that means. And I don't think I realized any of that until today.

Which may be good, because the most relevant thing I learned from this info session was the the UK government is getting rid of the program that allows foreigners with UK degrees to stay for 2 years after graduating. (I knew it was going to change, but I didn't realize change = disappear.) So maybe I'll have to go back to the Sates when this is done. But maybe that's okay too.

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Comments

[Dad]

Coming home after you get a degree is not a bad thing from my point of view! Nice pictures

[Skypaday]

You commented!
Thanks and thanks. I'm glad you like them. Had to take several of each in order to get them to come out right, but worth it.

[Mom]

I second Dad's comment!

[Erin]

Bridge!
Haha so I decided to name my comment Bridge! and it popped up as something I already used previously. The bridge is exciting though so I'm keeping the title. Seriously, I could look at that picture for a long time, it's so cool! I apparently have a lot of excitement about the bridge! In other news, I'm glad it would be okay to come back to the US. Not that you would be coming here, but Boston misses you. In other other news, I'm going to Vancouver in March, which means I will be flying, which means it is more likely that I will be able and willing to fly to see you as well (unless something terrible happens on my Vancouver flight). Woo!